


Never doubt I'll be there for you

by babyliss12



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Dorks in Love, Fluff, George is a good boyfriend, M/M, Post Austria, Some angst, alex is a good boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25152481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babyliss12/pseuds/babyliss12
Summary: Post Austria, George has a lot of feelings and Alex just wants to make him feel better, even if he can't be there in person.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/George Russell
Comments: 3
Kudos: 72





	Never doubt I'll be there for you

George sighed, shutting his hotel room door, _finally alone_ , he thinks. The race was a mess, probably the most chaotic race he’d ever been part of, although at least the fans got a show from it.

Moving through the room, he drops his bag and sits on the edge of his bed, resting his head in hands as he recalls the events of the weekend. They weren’t hoping for miracles although it was a pleasant surprise when he was able to qualify in P17, only missing out on Q2 by 0.073 seconds. The small margin was a sign of hope for the team and far exceeded their expectations for the weekend.

And the race had actually been good by their standards. He had been able to fight the Haas’ and Alpha’s although he’d never made it into a point's position and there wasn’t any guarantee he would have, even if the car hadn’t stopped. The team were happy with the results; the car showed good progression in race pace, they had good data for next weekend and they had been able to identify the problem which made him retire, plus Nicky had been able to finish.

Despite this, George was still left feeling deflated. Last year he had lower expectations for races, knowing that unless something drastic happened they’d be running at the back of the pack however with the pace the car was showing George had allowed his hopes to rise. Leaning back, he scrubbed his hand over his face, wiping away the tears that had slipped out due to his frustration. He felt exhausted mentally and physically, and he wanted nothing more than to simply shower and sleep.

Stepping into the bathroom, he gazed at his reflection noting he looked as exhausted as he felt, deep circles prominent under his eyes. Pulling his eyes away he undressed and stepped in the shower, his muscles instantly relaxing under the hot spray, not realising just how tense he’d gotten during the evening.

It was to be expected though, as after retiring he’d watched the rest of the race in his drivers’ room, emotions swinging between anguish for Alex and elation for Lando. It was great to see Lando prove people wrong, proving that he was mature enough something he sealed with getting the fastest lap. On the other hand, Alex probably had the worst race of all of them, being spun by Lewis **again** before having to retire as well. His boyfriend had certainly let his feelings be known when they spoke over the phone after the race. Alex had ranted about the unfairness of the situation, explaining that he wanted to get his frustration out before he had his debriefing with Christian and Helmut, which George understood but it annoyed him that Alex only called to rant at him and didn’t even ask if he was okay.

Most of the time George was able to stay positive, well realistic, about his car and team, keeping a positive persona when debriefing and talking with the press, but sometimes watching the races and seeing his friends and boyfriend fighting for podiums and points hurt, especially knowing that they’d all entered this level at the same time. Today's race rammed it home more than usual, as while George was upset about not scoring points, his boyfriend was upset about not getting a podium. At that moment George’s irritation seemed minor, he’d missed out on podiums before, not in F1 obviously but in the lower formula’s, so he could understand his feelings. However, it still hurt that Alex hadn’t even asked about him after the race.

 _Maybe,_ he mused, _Alex was so used to him failing that he didn’t see the need to do anything anymore._

Stepping out of the shower, he knew he needed to find a distraction from his thoughts, of course Alex cared, it was just a combination of the day’s events plus not being to physically hold Alex beginning to get to him.

Going from spending weeks at a time together to only being able to see each other through a screen was a harsh adjustment, but it seemed worse now they were racing again. He could see Alex; he just couldn’t touch him. Moving back home with his parents during the quarantine had helped, but his mum’s hugs could never be a replacement for Alex’s.

Sighing once again, he shuffled back to the main room, pulling on an old Toro Rosso shirt of Alex’s, musing that he probably had the same amount of Red Bull related clothing as Alex did at this point, but he wanted to pretend Alex was near. Flopping down on his bed, he crawled under the covers planning on sleeping for days, before picking himself up to do it all again next weekend.

Just as he was beginning to slip off to sleep, his phone started ringing. Groaning into his pillow he decided to just ignore it, willing the noise to stop. However as soon it stopped, the ringing started up again. Pushing himself up, he grabbed his phone not pausing to see who it was before answering,

“What!” he snapped, patience with the day officially gone.

“George…” the soft voice of his boyfriend responded, and George sighed, instantly feeling guilty at snapping at Alex especially after the day he had.

“Sorry Alex, I didn’t know it was you,” he rolled over as he spoke, settling back against the pillows, bringing his knees up to his chest and switching the call to video chat mode. He grinned softly at his boyfriend, seeing that he was also tucked up in bed, hair akimbo with his face smushed into a pillow.

“sokay,” Alex replied, “I just wanted to apologise for earlier.”

“hmm… oh, it's okay, I know you were disappointed,” he muttered.

“No George it wasn’t okay, I didn’t even congratulate you,” Alex moves, sitting up now and stares at George with a level of intensity he hasn’t seen in a while.

“ha, good one,” George shoots back, “it's okay, I’m used to it.” He watches as Alex’s face morphs into something like confusion, his forehead creasing into a frown.

“George…you did really well mate, okay you didn’t finish but most of the grid didn’t.”

Alex sounds so insistent but George just nods, trying to move the conversation on, “so how did the debrief go?” he asks. 

This time its Alex who sighs, “not awful, they weren’t happy, but they didn’t blame me or Max for what happened so that's a plus.”

“Well they couldn’t blame you, it definitely wasn’t your fault” George states, attempting to reaffirm that belief with Alex.

“Yeah, I don’t know if it was really even his fault, it just happened, and I’m still sorry for how I acted earlier,” Alex manages to steer the conversion back to the one they had earlier, and George lets out a small groan at that.

“I told you its fine, I get it, you missed out on a podium.”

“It still wasn’t fair for me to take it out on you, especially since you had a good race as well.”

Although Alex looks sincere like he actually believes what he’s saying, it’s the final straw for George, “agh stop saying that! How could it be good, I wasn’t even in the points when I retried so it doesn’t matter anyway. It’s just another points less finish for George Russell!” His voice gradually gets louder until he’s practically shouting the last part. To his embarrassment, his tears from earlier make a reappearance and he starts sobbing, all his emotions flooding out.

He drops the phone on his bed, burying his head in his hands and just letting it all out. Faintly he can hear Alex talking to him, just mindless nonsense and soothing noises designed to calm him down. Hiccupping, George messily wipes at his eyes and tries to get his breathing back under control, Alex’s words beginning to filter through.

“Shhh Shhh, it’s alright baby, just breathe with me, in….. and out… in….. and out….., It’s okay just let it go, shhh shhhhhh.”

George hiccups again reaching to pick his phone up with one hand, still attempting to wipe away stray tears with the other. “I’m sorry” he states, looking at his boyfriend, seeing nothing but love and concern conveyed back at him. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“shhh Georgey, it’s okay, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about, nothing” Alex smiles softly at him, “God I wish I could give you a hug right now.”

Alex’s words make George start crying anew, pushing his face into his shoulder, to hide from his boyfriend's concerned gaze. Alex panicking, begins to shush him again, “erm okay, shhh shhh, it’ll be fine, hang on hang on, where are you staying? I’m coming over.” 

George looks up to see him moving around his hotel room, grabbing his coat and shoes.

“wait no,” George croaks out, voice thick from emotion, “you can’t, the quarantine rules, you’ll get a penalty from the FIA.”

“George, I don’t care about that, you’re upset, you're what matters right now,” Alex is stood still now, intently staring at George, maintaining eye contact throughout speaking.

Sniffing loudly, George smiles at him, “I love you, but you can’t come over, you know that.”

“I love you too,” Alex echoes, “I know, I want to be with you more than anything though.”

“I wish you were here too”, he replies. For a second they don’t talk, just gaze at each other. Eyes conveying a deep level of love and understanding, a feeling of absolute trust and safety washes over George as he stares at the boy who stole his heart. He would always feel safe with Alex, and he would trust Alex with anything. He watches as Alex moves back to bed, somewhat satisfied now that George’s tears have eased off.

“Do you wanna tell me why you were so upset,” Alex breaks the silence, daring to broach the subject, “you don’t have too, but it might help if you talk about it.”

George winces, “It's dumb,” he whispers.

“Hey,” Alex interrupts “your feelings aren’t dumb.”

George huffs slightly before continuing, “they feel dumb, here’s me all upset about not getting points whereas you’re upset about not getting a podium.”

“Of course you should be upset! I watched it back George, you were amazing” Alex is earnest, and George knows that he’d never lie about something like this.

He blushes, eyes dropping from the screen, “Not as amazing as you,” he replies.

He’s met with laughter from the phone, “I’m trying to cheer you up, and yet you’re still thinking about me.”

“I can’t help it, you almost got your first podium.”

“And you almost got your first points,” Alex counters “so we can both be upset.”

“I know, it just feels wrong, you lost out on so much more.” George knows how much Alex is desperate for a podium; they all are but Alex has shared his fears that Red Bull would get rid of him unless he managed one soon. After all, it's not like they haven’t done it in the past.

“Okay, we’re going in circles. Let's just agree that we can both be upset after such a shit show of a race.” Alex nods as he finishes, declaring the statement with such finality that George can’t help but laugh.

It's the kind of laugh you only get when you catch a person off guard, a true laugh. Its one that Alex has been privy to many a time over the years, one that hardly anyone has heard, so different to his more polite public laugh. It always makes Alex glow slightly when he’s able to bring out that side of George. To fully take his mind off of whatever was spinning around in there.

“I think it hurts more because it was actually going well,” George admits, pulling Alex from his musing, “I wasn’t just on my own at the back, but actually racing.”

“You’ll get to do that next week, I know it. You’ve done it once, you’ll be able to do it again, and again and before you know it, you’ll be fighting with me like the old days.”

“I don’t remember much fighting, pretty sure I beat you,” George gently teases, “thank you though, I mean it, you’re the best and sometimes I think I don’t deserve you.”

“Hey! Uncalled for when I’m trying to be supportive,” Alex pouts, playing at being upset but breaks into a grin when George starts laughing, “I am the best though, I know that. But hold still a second.”

“what? Why?” George asks, confused by the sudden turn of the conversation.

Alex moves closer to his phone, features distorting as the camera tries to adjust and focus. George can only look on, bemused as his boyfriend presses his lips against the camera twice. Moving back again, he has such a broad grin on his face, looking overly pleased with himself and George can’t help the snort that slips out.

“Not that I don’t love a close up of your lips, but what was that?”

“I was kissing your tears away,” he states, no hint of irony in his tone, “it’s what I’d do if I was there, so I thought I’d do it anyway.”

For the second time during this call, George’s heart melts and he gently wipes away the last bits of moisture from his eyes, stating “there, you got them all.”

“Good,” Alex replies, “Problem solved.” He nods before turning serious again. “I want you to promise that you’ll tell me if you’re feeling this way in the future. You don’t need to hide anything from me.”

“I promise, and this is a two-way street, never feel like you can’t just rant to if you’ve had a bad day because then I can make you feel better as well.”

“ohhh, feel better how?” Alex attempts a wink, but George just rolls his eyes in response,

“Get your mind out of the gutter, I told you we’re not trying phone sex again, not after last time.”

“agh fine, Jesus I’ve apologised for that a million times.”

“And I’ll need a million more before I even consider it again,” George yawns, the evening events finally catching up with him know he was feeling better, but not wanting to stop talking with Alex, “stay on the phone with me?”

He knows Alex will say yes, and settles back into the pillows, placing the phone on the pillow next to him, a way to help him pretend that Alex was actually there with him. They talk about inconsequential nonsense, but the last thing George hears as he finally falls asleep is a whispered, “I love you.”

…………………………………………………………………………………

The next morning as he wakes up, he remains snuggled under the covers.

It's their first day off and unlike a usual race weekend doesn’t involve any travelling which means he gets to enjoy a lay in.

That is, until there’s a knock at his hotel door.

Groaning, George calls out, “Who is it?”

Aleix’s voice shouts back, “only me, I’ve got a gift for you.”

Frowning George climbs out of bed, tossing on a hoodie before opening the door, seeing his trainer stood there with a bag.

Aleix passes George the bag, “It’s from lover boy”, he states before turning and heading back down the corridor, calling over his shoulder “don’t forget about our session later.”

Closing the door, George places the bag on the bed, pulling out a Red Bull shirt and hoodie both with Alex’s number emblazoned on. A note flutters to the floor, having been disturbed when he pulled the clothes out,

_To George,_

_I can’t be there in person to give you a hug, but hopefully, these can be a good substitute until I can._

_Forever yours, Alex._

He quickly sheds his own clothes, pulling on those sent to him, slightly too big but warm and smelling just like Alex, as good as a replacement hug could be. Grinning as he snaps a photo sending it to his boyfriend along with a simple message saying ‘Thank you💙’

The response is immediate and just as simple.

💙💙💙

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a response to the prompt – Character A kissing away Character B’s tears, but I got a mental image of someone trying to be cute and doing it over the phone because of the quarantine and this happened.  
> Maybe I resolved everything a bit quickly but the alternative was me rambling on for thousands of words. The race gave me so many feelings and if the rest of the season is anything like that race, it's going to be a hell of a ride.  
> As always comments and Kudos are love 💙💜💙


End file.
